Swearing Can Literally Dull The Pain

A 2009 study published in NeuroReport demonstrated that swearing could help people withstand pain. When asked to put their hands in a tub of icewater, subjects could keep their hands submerged for longer when they repeated a swear word, as opposed to a neutral word. Researchers theorize that this effect is due to swearing prompting the body's fight-or-flight response.